Archive for the ‘Food & Wine’ Category

Red Wine – I’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

It’s been a while since I blogged about my wine adventures. I’ve been to a couple of wine tastings where I was able to sample a variety of wines outside my scope of familiarity – namely red varities. I’ve also sampled numerous bottles on my own and I have to say, I’ve liked most of them. I went from being keen on sweeter reds such as Dornfelder and Muscatel table wines to really enjoying Cabernet & Shiraz. I’m still not a fan of Merlot but I suppose that takes time. I’m excited that my palate has matured because it really opens up the spectrum of what I consider to be tasty. I now believe that I can select a wine in nearly any situation and be reasonably satisfied with my selection. That makes me happy because that was the goal of my journey. I wanted to be able to understand the subtle and not so subtle differences in wine varieties and regions. I’ve even come so far as to determine that I prefer Australian varieties. I don’t discriminate though – if nothing else, this journey has taught me to be more open than I’ve ever been to trying new ones!

I’ve compiled a list of the ones that have stood out over the past couple of months as favorites that I would buy again:

- Bitch ~$13/bottle – Australian

- Black Opal (Shiraz, Shiraz/Cab & Cabernet – all are good!) ~ $5-7/bottle – Australian

- Black Swan (Shiraz) ~$5-6/bottle – Australian

- Bohemian Highway – (Cabernet) – California – $6-7/bottle

- San Sebastian Vintner’s Red (Muscatel) – Florida ~ $8-9/bottle

I have tried others that I liked enough to drink but that didn’t stick out as “fabulous”. This list above I consider to be gems because of their flavor, body & price. I have indeed found that good wine doesn’t have to be expensive!!

My Red Wine Exploration, Post 2 – Dornfelder

Wine - ValkenbergOn my quest to find the perfect red wine for me at a price I can afford, the shortest route seemed to lie with my local wine store, WineStyles of Riverview. I decided on Friday afternoon to pay a visit to see if they could offer some help. I sampled 2 or 3 red wines before I hit the jackpot.

Dornfelder!

While I mentioned that I was looking for a semi-sweet red wine, this sweet red was simply delightful. It hails from Germany and can be served chilled or at room temperature. The brand that I purchased was a 2008 Valckenberg and was priced at only $13.99. It is very smooth and light bodied, pleasant aroma with hints of spice and a deep, rich color. The grapes for this wine are found in the Rheinhessen region of Germany.  I was told that this wine is great alone or served with full flavored cheeses and crusty bread. It is also said to go well with grilled chicken or beef and even BBQ.

This isn’t the first time I’ve fallen in love with a German wine. I was introduced to Gewurztraminer by Michael and took an instant liking to it. Although in comparison it’s not nearly as sweet, it’s still a refreshing wine with good flavor that I enjoy.

I can’t tell you how glad I am that I stopped in at WineStyles! I’m sure there are more red wines out there for me to try and I plan to explore as many as possible with the help and expertise I found there. I also sampled at least 2 other wines that I plan to purchase  – one of them is called Bitch, appropriately enough!

Help Me! I’m a Newbie @ Wine!

For most of my life I didn’t really care for wine. It was ok but not a preference and certainly not something I drank very often. Now that I’m…um… more mature, I’ve developed a taste for wine. Trouble is, my palate is pretty hick and inexperienced.

Wine Glass and bottleHere’s what I like:

Riesling – Most any that I have tried, I like. I like the fruity, crisp and semi-sweet nature of it. Very easy to drink.

Moscato - I like most Moscato but there are some I’ve tried that are too sweet.  Like the Riesling, I like it’s fruity and go with anything ability.

Rose/Blush -  Again, fruity. Sense a theme here?

I consider White Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio to be tolerable, but neither would be my first choice. In all variations of these wines I like pear and peach tones. I don’t care for citrus tones as much; too much bite.

Here’s what I don’t like:

Very dry wine.

Here’s where I need your help:

I’ve never found a red wine that I cared for, but I haven’t tried many. I like the depth and feel of red wine on the palate, but I prefer a sweeter taste rather than dry. I like oak and cinnamon tones but haven’t found the right blend of these in the sweetness that I desire. Again, I do not like wine that is too sweet but I don’t like it to bite back either. I like smooth, flavorful and aromatic.

What kind of red wines would you recommend that I try? Please keep in mind I am on a pretty strict budget. A lot of the wines I have tried/liked have been cheap. I’m open to hearing about pricier wines but it might be awhile before I can get around to trying them. I’m looking for some recommendations in my price range, which is roughly $10 or less. When JobShouts sells for millions, then I’ll be all over trying some expensive stuff. ;)

Then I won’t have to worry about getting cheap glasses at auction

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